WorldView-4

WorldView-4
Names GeoEye-2
Mission type Earth observation
Operator DigitalGlobe
Mission duration Planned: 10 to 12 years
Spacecraft properties
Bus LM-900[1]
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin Space Systems[1]
Launch mass 2,087 kg (4,601 lb)[2]
Dimensions 7.9 × 5.3 m (26 × 17 ft)[3]
Start of mission
Launch date 15 September 2016 (2016-09-15)[4]
Rocket Atlas V 401, AV-062[4]
Launch site Vandenberg SLC-3E[4]
Contractor United Launch Alliance
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Sun-synchronous[3]
Perigee 617–681 km (383–423 mi)[3][5]
Apogee 617–681 km (383–423 mi)[3][5]
Period 97 minutes[3]
Repeat interval 3 days[5]
Velocity 7.5 km/s (16,800 mph)[5]
Epoch Planned
Main telescope
Name GeoEye Imaging System-2
Diameter 1.1 m (3.6 ft)[6]
Wavelengths Panchromatic: 450-800 nm[3]
Multispectral: 655-920 nm[3]
Resolution Panchromatic: 0.31 m (12.2 in)[3]
Multispectral: 1.24 m (48.8 in)[3]
DigitalGlobe fleet
← WorldView-3

WorldView-4, previously known as GeoEye-2, is a planned third generation commercial Earth observation satellite scheduled to launch in September 2016. The spacecraft will be operated by DigitalGlobe. With a maximum resolution of 31 cm (12 in),[7] WorldView-4 will provide the highest resolution commercial imagery at the time of its launch, and will not be encumbered by the 50 cm (20 in) restriction imposed by the U.S. government on its predecessors.[8]

History

Work on GeoEye-2 began in October 2007 when commercial imagery company GeoEye selected ITT Corporation to begin work on long lead-time items for the satellite camera system.[9][10] In March 2010, an initial contract for construction of the spacecraft was awarded to Lockheed Martin Space Systems, which previously built the IKONOS imaging satellite.[11] At the time, GeoEye-2 was planned for launch in late 2012.[12] The spacecraft's preliminary design review was completed in November 2010, while its critical design review was completed in June 2011.[13][14]

Lockheed Martin issued a contract to ITT Corporation in August 2010 to continue work on the camera system.[10] Its critical design review was completed in March 2011.[15] The system was delivered to Lockheed in April 2012,[16] and was mated to the spacecraft bus the following month.[17]

DigitalGlobe agreed to purchase GeoEye in July 2012,[18] and finalized the merger in January 2013.[19] At the time, each company had a satellite being prepared for launch: WorldView-3 and GeoEye-2. Because WorldView-3 offered multiple short-wavelength infrared channels in addition to the standard panchromatic and multiwavelength channels, the company chose to proceed with its launch and to place GeoEye-2 into storage.[20]

In July 2014, DigitalGlobe announced that GeoEye-2 had been renamed to WorldView-4 to better match the company's branding, and that, due to a projected increase in product demand, the spacecraft's launch had been scheduled for mid-2016.[21][22]

Launch

WorldView-4 is scheduled for launch on 15 September 2016 from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 3E. It will launch aboard an Atlas V rocket in the 401 configuration, serial number AV-062, provided and administered by United Launch Alliance.[4]

Instrument

The spacecraft's telescope is called the GeoEye Imaging System-2,[23] designed and built by ITT Corporation.[16] The telescope mirror is 1.1 m (3.6 ft) in diameter.[6] It will be able to provide panchromatic images at a highest resolution of 0.31 meters per pixel (12.2 in/px), and multispectral images at 1.24 meters per pixel (48.8 in/px).[3] Multispectral imagery will be available in red, green, blue and near-infrared channels.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "GeoEye-2 Earth Observation Satellite, United States of America". Aerospace-Technology.com. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "WorldView 4 (WV 4, GeoEye 2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "WorldView-4" (PDF). DigitalGlobe. November 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "GeoEye-2 (WorldView-4) Satellite Sensor (0.34m)". Satellite Imaging Corporation. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Primary Mirror Blank Assembly for GeoEye-2". GIM International. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Department of Commerce Relaxes Resolution Restrictions, DigitalGlobe Extends Lead in Image Quality" (Press release). DigitalGlobe. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "U.S. government OKs DigitalGlobe to sell high-resolution earth images". The Denver Post. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "GeoEye Initiates Development of its Third Generation Earth-Imaging Satellite" (Press release). GeoEye via PRNewswire. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  10. 1 2 "ITT awarded contract to build the Imaging System for the GeoEye-2 Earth-Imaging Satellite" (PDF) (Press release). ITT Corporation. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Ferster, Warren (11 March 2010). "Lockheed Martin Selected To Build GeoEye-2 Imaging Satellite". Space News. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Censer, Marjorie (3 May 2010). "GeoEye building satellite, awaits decision on major contract award". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "GeoEye-2 completes design review". Dalje.com. United Press International. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "GeoEye-2’s Design Phase Finishes Ahead of Schedule". Space News. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "GeoEye-2 Camera Passes Critical Design Review". Space News. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  16. 1 2 Lockwood, Irene (10 April 2012). "ITT Exelis delivers imaging system for next-generation, high-resolution GeoEye-2 satellite" (Press release). ITT Exelis. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  17. ↑ Bergin, Chris (2 May 2012). "Lockheed Martin complete milestones on two upcoming spacecraft". NASA Spaceflight. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  18. ↑ Tomesco, Frederic; Callan, James (23 July 2012). "DigitalGlobe Agrees to Acquire GeoEye for About $900 Million". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  19. ↑ Harden, Mark; Avery, Greg (31 January 2013). "DigitalGlobe completes GeoEye buy". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Ray, Justin (4 February 2013). "One commercial Earth-imager deferred in favor of another". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  21. ↑ "DigitalGlobe Announces Second 30-Centimeter Satellite to Launch in Mid-2016" (Press release). DigitalGlobe. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  22. ↑ Painter, Kristen Leigh (31 July 2014). "Demand moves DigitalGlobe to speed launch of high-powered satellite". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "Satellite: WorldView-4". World Meteorological Organization. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.


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